A new experimental brain implantation device, Blindsight, designed to restore vision has been awarded the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ‘breakthrough device’ designation. The device was created by Elon Musk’s brain chip company, Neuralink, which specialises in developing a brain-chip interface that can be implanted within the skull. Blindsight is designed to allow individuals who have lost both eyes and optic nerves to regain sight.
On Tuesday, in a post made on X announcing the new development, Mr Musk said Blindsight can help blind people regain their sight as long as their visual cortex is still intact. He said, “The Blindsight device from Neuralink will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see. He said: “Provided the visual cortex is intact, it will even enable those who have been blind from birth to see for the first time.
“To set expectations correctly, the vision will at first be low resolution, like Atari graphics, but eventually it has the potential to be better than natural vision and enable you to see in infrared, ultraviolet or even radar wavelengths, like Geordi La Forge.” Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you.
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